Mic 7:1 What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave.

 

   

This is Micah, one of the lesser or minor prophets of the Old Testament. Having said that, it doesn't make his word less important. Perhaps to catch the importance of this we have to note the next verse: “The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains.” In other words, he looks out on the land and whereas he would expect to see godly men and women, he sees none. It's like, he says, someone who goes out into their vineyard and expects to find grapes and figs in the Summer, but there are none. What should naturally be there, is not!

 

Now why should there be godly people there? Because this is Israel and this was a nation raised up by God to live godly lives in relationship with Him. Godliness should have been the primary characteristic of this people. The tragedy is that this people had turned away from the Lord – godliness was, in fact, absent.

 

Does this prophet just shrug it off? No, he is in misery. Being a prophet he catches the heart of God and God's heart anguishes over His people and so Micah anguishes over his people. There is nothing to be casual about here. This is a national tragedy! How do we feel about the state of our nation? In Britain we have a history of knowing the Lord but today there are probably less than 5% of the population really knowing God. This is a time of tragedy! Cry for our land.